Goldenstar's Choice
by RussianBlues
Summary: Goldenkit had always dreamed of becoming leader of RiverClan. What he didn't imagine was his loyalty to the Clan being tested by a devastating secret, one that is tearing him apart on the inside and jeopardizes his chances of fulfilling his dreams. A tale of forbidden romance, loyalty, and overcoming challenges, Goldenstar's Choice is a story you don't want to miss!
1. Prologue

A/N: This is on deviantART, but I feel like I'd be more inspired to continue this if I got some feedback here too. So this is the Prologue, where Goldeneyes/star/butt/whatever his name is, is a loner living in the streets of Hollywood, and he reflects back to his time in the forest and how all this mess started. Read and enjoy!

 **Prologue**

The dismal, flickering lights of the Twolegplace glowed softly over the alleyway. The dull roar of the monsters passing by came and went, fading into nothing.

A cold drizzle began to fall from the sky and soak Scott through his black and white pelt. Giving his fur a shake, he pressed on towards his apartment. Several water drops tickled and slid down his whiskers and with a twitch of his nose they were sent flying.

"Damn rain," he growled through clenched teeth. A shiver shook his spine and he shut his eyes to blink the rain water away. Scott felt heavy and tired and could barely muster up the effort to move his paws another step forward.

As he was walking alongside the curb, a monster roared by, its putrid odor stinging his nostrils and clouding his mind. The monster splashed up water from the thunder path with its huge black paws, and drenched Scott with the dirty street water.

"Fox-dung!" He spat in disgust. Scott could taste the dirt and grime in his mouth. "I need to get rid of this foul taste." Now prowling the streets with a goal in mind, he happened upon something he was quite happy to see.

A pale red glow of a neon sign had attracted his attention. Padding over to it, he basked in the artificial light. He glanced over the sign and he read the strange, Twoleg characters. "Hm?" His curled ears perked up and stood on his paws tensely. He glanced around nervously, biting his lip. No one was watching.  
Scott pawed at the old wooden door which didn't fit the frame quite right. Sticking a paw in the open crack he muscled his way inside. The heavy door closed behind him as he finished squeezing his way through.

"I know I shouldn't..." He mumbled, his ears drooping with even more guilt. Scott's golden eyes wandered over to the shelf, where his prize was waiting. It sat there, as colorful as jewels and every bit as priceless.

With only several bounds he made it past the bar and to the bottom of the towering shelf. At first it was quite daunting, but Scott pushed aside that nagging fear and went for it anyway, deciding that end goal was worth it.

He clawed his way up onto the wooden shelf, placing each paw gingerly before gripping with his claws. With a final heave, he got to his destination.

"I gotta lay off the Fancy Feast," he hissed, looking down at his now plump stomach.  
When he was a warrior he was much more lean. The life of a kittypet and a loner spoiled him rotten.

Scott purred as he gazed into the glasses of alcohol. "All mine and no one here to-"

"Scott?" A slender Bengal she-cat was standing at the foot of the shelf. "What are you doing up there?"

How the hell did she get here without me noticing? Scott thought, utterly baffled.

"Um, checking out the view...?" He pushed back the bottle of whiskey so it hid behind him. "It's quite pretty up here. All the... tables."

The she-cat wasn't buying one word. "Are you hiding what I think you're hiding?" She hissed.

"No!"

"Don't lie to me. I'll find out."

"Um-"

"You're stealing alcohol again, aren't you?" She unsheathed her claws and began to climb up the shelf to reach Scott.

Scott's heart began to race as she climbed nearer and nearer. "Sheilah, no, don't-"

"I knew it!" She sniffed around. "It reeks of that Twoleg crap, I'm not letting you have any of it." Sheilah knocked over a bottle off the shelf with a delicate paw and it smashed on the floor into a thousand shards. "I can't be with you if you succumb to this addiction again, it ruined you."

The tuxedo tomcat flattened his curled ears and tucked his tail over his paws. "I'm sorry, I truly am." He whimpered.

"You say that every time." Sheilah lashed out. "Now c'mon, I'm going to walk you home." She leaped down from the shelf and landed away from the mess she made. Looking up at her mate, she narrowed her eyes and growled: "Lets go."

Scott followed without hesitation. He was caught in the midst of a weak moment. His pride was hurt. Worst of all, he could still taste the mucky water from before.

Now the rain was a complete downpour. It hissed as the droplets pounded the ground, washing away the litter in the streets. The pelts of the cats pressed to their bodies, making them smaller in appearance. Scott held himself back a few paces. He did not want to confront Sheilah for the rest of the night.

They approached a small apartment building surrounded by palm trees. The palms were battered by the wind, and the rainwater raced down the windows in long streaks.

"I'm dropping you off here." Sheilah brushed her spotted tail along Scott's flank. "This way I know you're home."

Scott still felt a heavy feeling in his chest, the guilt was keeping his heart down like an iron weight. "Do... do you want to stay with me for the night?" He murmured, not meeting her stare.

Sheilah's eyes widened in surprise. "No, because my Twolegs would be looking for me. I'm sorry." She looked over at Scott and then at the sky, which was black with stormy clouds in the night. The faint yellow light from downtown Hollywood gently kissed the bottom of the clouds, and reflected off the rain, creating a shower of glittering light. Sheilah then glanced back at Scott, who was now staring at his paws. "Goddammit." She shouldered her way past him to his apartment. Scott lightened up and happily padded after her like a duckling trailing its mother.

Once they were inside, each of them shook the water from their pelts, creating slippery puddles on the floor.

"Watch your step." Scott warned as he jumped over a puddle. "It's slippery."

They made it to his apartment. The rooms were dark and the only sound (apart from his Twoleg snoring) was the thundering rain against the window pane. Scott hopped up onto the window sill and looked out at the southern Californian landscape."Pretty in the rain, isn't it?" He breathed.

"It is." Sheilah pressed herself up against him. After a moment of silence between them, she spoke up. "Scott, what would you do in the rain back when you were in the Clans?"

Scott rarely brought up his past life, but he told Sheilah a very simple version: that he was a former RiverClan warrior banished for a forbidden romance.  
"We'd either stay in the dens, or tough it out."

"But wouldn't you catch cold?" Sheilah pressed herself even closer, trying to rid herself of the chill in her bones.

Scott gave a short laugh. "We were used to it. Especially RiverClan. Our pelts are sleek and made for water resistance. Now if you're from any of the other Clans..."

"There are other Clans?" The she-cat perked her ears in surprise.

"Of course!" Scott looked at her as if he assumed she would've known that. "I'm from RiverClan. Our neighbors are WindClan, who live in the open fields, and ThunderClan, who live in the deep forests. ShadowClan, who live in the pines and swamps, live opposite of us. We are all watched by StarClan, or our ancestors."

"Do you remember any of your clan mates?" Sheilah asked more questions, digging further into Scott's repressed memories.

Now Scott felt a pang of sadness in his heart. There was a stabbing of loneliness that accompanied it. "Yes, as a matter of fact I do." He inhaled a sharp breath. "When I was banished, the leader of RiverClan was Lonestar. He was the wisest cat you'd ever know, but I think he strongly disliked me for reasons unknown. His apprentice was our deputy, Pondspots. He was nice, very quiet. We had an old medicine cat named Grassfur. He was something else, he was kind of strange. But poetic."

"Did you have any friends?"

"Yes. A few."

"Who were they?"

"Hareflight, Perchfire, Pebblefoot, and Sunstep. Sunstep was my apprentice." Scott continued to stare longingly into the window. "He was a good cat. Both Pebblefoot and Sunstep followed my banishment."

Sheilah tilted her head to the side and then gave a small smile. "Why don't you tell me the whole story? You're a fantastic storyteller. Plus it will pass the time."

"Don't you want to get some sleep?" Scott nuzzled her ear and gave it a quick lick.

"No, you piqued my interest with your past. I want to hear about these Clans, and why exactly you were banished." Sheilah shifted on her paws and made herself comfortable.

"I was banished because I made the wrong choice. There, end of story." Scott felt his fur rise on his back.

"No! Tell me the whole story, with all the details." She demanded.

"I suppose then I should start from the beginning..." Scott stared into the rain, as he remembered his past that he hid for so long.


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: Here's chapter 1 to the epic story that is Goldenstar's Choice (of course I'm biased but whatever..)! It starts out like every super edition where the main character is a tiny, helpless kit. So enjoy the fluffy kitten-ness.

 **Chapter One**

A painful cry erupted from the nursery and any warrior in the vicinity slammed their paws over their ears.

It was leaffall, at least the very start of it. The weather during the day was hot and sticky but the nights were chilling cold. A few trees even had a head start in the changing of their leaves. The few ruby and rust-colored leaves hid themselves among the bright emeralds.

It was after sunhigh, and the sky was a dull blue. During this time of day, the cats relaxed and enjoyed their catch from that morning, and many even decided to go swimming.

In the RiverClan nursery, a gold and white queen laid on her side, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Her claws sunk into the earth, and her eyes were shut tight in pain.  
"Are they dead? Please don't tell me if they're dead, I don't want to know." The queen shook her head and buried it in her paws, wailing with fear and grief.

"You only have one kit this time, Dewflower, and he's just fine. Quite a large kit, actually." A fluffy, old gray and white tom held the mewling newborn gingerly in his mouth.

Dewflower sat up so fast the blood rushed down to her paws, making her dizzy. "He's alive?"

"Of course, he's quite loud, those are some strong mewls."

"Thank you, Grassfur!" Dewflower took the baby from him and placed him next to her belly. As if on cue, the kit began to nurse immediately, kneading his mother's belly with his small, white paws.

"It's my job." Grassfur wrapped his fluffy tail around himself. "I've been a medicine cat for countless moons and I have delivered hundreds of kits." He gazed over at the tiny tom, who quickly had his fill and now was curled up in a tight ball. "His pelt is vastly different from either you or his father." Grassfur gave a chuckle.

Dewflower lowered her ears and narrowed her eyes. "Are you questioning my fidelity?"

"No, absolutely not!" The old cat stuttered. "I'm just laughing at how his black and white pelt does not even look remotely similar to either your golden one or Dusktail's brown tabby."

"Well, if you remember correctly, my father had a black and white pelt." Dewflower said tartly.

Grassfur snorted. "Honey, if I could remember what I had for breakfast it's an accomplishment. Wait until you're old and decrepit like me." Looking at the kit again, who was now lying stretched out on his tummy, Grassfur asked: "What are you going to name him?"

"I'm not sure..." Dewflower's mew trailed off.

"Name him quick, or at his apprentice ceremony he'll be 'No-Namepaw'."

Just then, a smaller-sized brown tabby with curled ears strolled into the nursery. Even though he walked with poise, there was a tired look in his eyes that gave away his fear. "How are the kits?" He asked.

"Kit." Grassfur corrected. "Your new son is doing fine, Dusktail. He just had his first meal and now is taking a nap." The tom shouldered past him, knocking the medicine cat off his paws.

"Hey, he looks like your father!" Dusktail purred with delight.

Dewflower flashed Grassfur a 'I told you so' look. With that, Grassfur stalked out of the nursery, rambling underneath his breath.

"What should we name him?" Dewflower gazed up at her mate. "I like Blackkit."

"But he's white too, it wouldn't make sense." Dusktail grumbled. "How about we name him something that is a classic RiverClan name, like Reedkit or Splashkit."  
Dewflower turned her nose up at both of the suggestions. "Lets just wait. Something will come to me."

"If you wish." Dusktail blinked.

After a seemingly endless moment of silence, Dewflower spoke up. "If he was a girl I would have named him after one of his lost sisters." She turned her head away and faced the back of the nursery wall. Previous to the kit's birth, Dewflower and Dusktail had lost their previous litter, two she-cats named Blossomkit and Leafkit.

"At least we have this one," Dusktail tried to stay positive. "And Grassfur said that he's healthy. What more can we ask for?"

"I know." Dewflower could feel tears at the edge of her eyes. "But I'd do anything to have them back."

Just then the new little kit gave a mighty sneeze that sent him rolling over.

"Is he okay? Send Grassfur in, he might be sick! I don't want to lose him too!" The queen immediately began to lick her kit in gentle strokes, hoping to StarClan her baby didn't already catch something.

"Dewflower, he's fine!" Dusktail batted her ear playfully with a paw. "He probably breathed in some dust. It's okay."

The two cats jumped when they heard a crashing noise outside the den. Just then, two little kits with fluffed out pelts and sparkling eyes bolted inside.

"Harekit pushed me into a thorn patch!"

"Did not!"

"Did to! How do you explain these thorns in my fur!" His pelt fluffed out even further, making him resemble a storm cloud with his gray and white fur.

Dewflower growled sharply, "I have a sleeping newborn kit here, could you please be respectful and leave?"

The two kits looked at each other and then turned tail and ran screaming for Grassfur.

Grassfur padded into the nursery holding some borage leaves in his jaws. He had noticed earlier that Dewflower's milk wasn't coming as strong as it should so he thought the herb would give it a boost.

He felt something furry and slender beneath his paw, and before he could figure out what it was, a howl of pain told him exactly what he stepped on.

"Can you watch your clumsy paws? You just about snapped my tail in two." Harekit's mom, Foxfur, hissed.

"Queens..." Grassfur rolled his eyes. "Dewflower, I have the borage leaves I mentioned. This should help with your milk problem-"

"Grassfur, look, quick! He's opened his eyes!" Dewflower happily nuzzled her son, who's eyes were already halfway open. Grassfur watched happily, witnessing kits gaze at the world around them for the first time was always a treat.

When the kit opened his eyes fully, they were revealed to be a beautiful shade of gold, and they sparkled like the summer sun.

Grassfur felt an icy grip on his spine as his surroundings began to spin. The small kit grew into a silhouette of a grown cat. Behind him images of strange places streaked by. There were monsters, Twolegs, thunderpaths, and Twoleg dens that stretched to the sky. A voice whispered into Grassfur's ear: "He will rise with the sun at his dawn, and set with the sun at his dusk. RiverClan will drown by blood, but a golden future awaits them."  
It ended as quickly as it began.

"I know what I'm going to name him!" Dewflower squeaked with happiness, interrupting his thoughts.

"W-what's that?" Grassfur tried to shake the nauseas feeling that had overcome him.

"I'm going to name him, Goldenkit!" Dewflower gave her son a lick, and a patch of fur stuck up awkwardly on his head and he squeaked in surprise. "Those beautiful, golden eyes are the first thing you notice about him, don't you think, Grassfur? And he is related to Goldensong, you know, on his father's side. I would like to name my son after him." Goldensong was a warrior way back when RiverClan was in its early days. He fought and witnessed one of the bloodiest battles between WindClan and RiverClan, and was famous in RiverClan history for his efforts in the war.

"We all know about Goldensong, Dewflower." Grassfur was still having troubles trying to push away the odd prophecy. What was StarClan trying to tell him? That this kit was special, somehow? What kind of future did he have ahead of him? What kind of future did RiverClan have ahead of them? He was so lost.

"Up." Goldenkit squeaked. "Up up up." He rolled around the nursery, getting his pelt dusty and dirty.

"Goldenkit, sit still! Your pelt is going to be messy." Dewflower looked at her son again. "I suppose it already is," she sighed.

Goldenkit batted at a pebble with his paw, and jumped off the ground in surprise when it moved. His fur puffed out, and he stood on his toes in shock.

"It's just a little pebble, dear, it won't hurt you." To prove this fact, Dewflower batted at the pebble herself. "See?"

"Up." Goldenkit mewed and pounced on the small stone.

Just then, Dusktail squeezed his way into the nursery, holding a slippery, silver fish. "I brought dinner!" He announced. At the sound of his father's voice, Goldenkit made a beeline straight to the source.

"Up!" He fell over, and soon regained his balance.

"He's learning to walk and talk," Dewflower explained. "He can't sit still and be quiet!"

"Up!" Goldenkit completed a somersault and wound up crashing into his father's leg.

"Whoa there, tiger." Dusktail grabbed Goldenkit by the scruff and placed him back on his paws. He nudged the fish over to his son and said, "You ready for an upgrade?"

Dewflower scooped up Goldenkit with a paw and brought him over to her belly. "Oh, I don't think so. He's not weaned yet."

"Yeah right. You just want the fish all to yourself." Dusktail teased his mate with a laugh. "Eat up, you need your strength."

A loud meow sounded from the center of the camp. "All cats old enough to fish and swim gather beneath the highrock for a clan meeting."

"I guess Lonestar needs to address the clan." Dusktail peered outside and noticed the slowly growing mob of cats. "C'mon, we should go."

"But what about Goldenkit, I can't leave him behind." The queen held her kit close.

"I'm sure he can sit still for a few moments. Besides, he can barely walk, how far do you think he'll get?" Goldenkit proved his father's words by waddling straight into the nursery wall and then subsequently falling over. "See?"

"I suppose you're right." Dewflower sighed. "Bye bye, sweetie, mumma will be back." She gave him a quick lick on the forehead and he toppled over from the force.

While his parents were away, Goldenkit wandered around the den, sniffing in every nook and cranny, seeing what things where were to discover. After a while of his expedition, he noticed one little cranny that was bigger than the rest.

A kit-sized hole was ripped into the nursery. Goldenkit could smell strange things on the other side. His curiosity was tickled and he just had to explore.

Pushing himself through by using his stronger hind legs, Goldenkit managed to wiggle his way through and pop out on the other side. He tumbled down a slight hill for a bit, but he soon got to his paws.

"Ow!" He growled.

Goldenkit forgot about his pain as soon as he saw what surrounded him. RiverClan's territory was open and his to explore! The cattails and reeds towered over him, and even the blades of grass seemed to touch the sky. The sandy soil squished beneath his paws, and the grains became stuck in his fur.

"Ew!" He hissed and gave his pelt a good shake.

Then he heard it. This odd sound, one that he's heard before, as white noise in the nursery, but this time it was louder. Curious as ever, he cautiously pressed forward, wondering what that noise could possibly be. He was eager to put an end to this mystery.  
Goldenkit arrived at a thick wall of cat tails and grass. The noise was just around the other side. Pushing aside the tall strands, he leaped out into the unknown.

What greeted him was a swirling torrent of jade-colored water. The roar was from the current as it splashed against rocks and tumbled down the stream. Muddy banks along the sides sloped down into shallow water, with rocks lining the edge of the water.

"Up!" Goldenkit attempted to hop up into a rock for a better view, but was unsuccessful due to the rock's size in comparison to his own. Goldenkit slid off the rock and rolled over backwards, landing in a patch of grass.

His small, kitten attention span gave up on the rock and he decided to go explore the noise some more. The swirls of the water were mesmerizing and Goldenkit leaned over the edge to look closer.

As he looked into the depths, he noticed himself in the water! His reflection mimicked his every move, which was quite amusing for the little kit.

Concentrating hard on himself, Goldenkit didn't see the large crow land on the rock behind him. With a loud caw, the crow flew off into the woods.

The caw spooked Goldenkit, and with a squeal, he plopped into the tumbling stream.  
Water splashed him on all sides and Goldenkit couldn't find a foothold. He was tossed and batted around like a ball of moss, and some water even worked his way up into his nose and mouth.

"Mommy!" He screamed. Goldenkit crashed into a rock, and he held on to it for dear life. "Mommy!" His lungs hurt. The water stung his eyes and nostrils and gave him a stomachache. Goldenkit's pelt was plastered to his body, and he resembled a tiny, drowned mouse.

It felt like forever had passed before Goldenkit could hear cats racing along the bank towards him.

"I found the source of the screaming!" One dark tabby meowed. "It's a kit!"

"It's Goldenkit!" Another yowled.

Goldenkit unsheathed his teeny claws in order to keep his grip on the slippery rock. "Mommy!" He screamed again.

"Don't worry, Goldenkit, we got you." The dark tabby dove into the cold water without hesitation. He maneuvered himself so he headed straight for the rock island Goldenkit stranded himself on. "Hop on to my back," he ordered. "You'll stay above the water that way."

Goldenkit trembled with fright (and because of the chill) as he stumbled forward towards the tom.

"Gotcha." The warrior purred and swam towards the bank, where he dropped off the shivering, damp bundle of kit.

Dewflower sprinted up to them, shoving other cats out of the way. "Goldenkit! Goldenkit!"  
"Mommy!" He mewed.

"You are never leaving the nursery without my supervision ever again!" She began to groom him, tears flowing down her cheeks and drenching her fur. The thought of losing her only surviving kit terrified her. "You understand? I'm not going to let StarClan take you."

Grassfur walked up to the fretting queen. "I can check him over. But I'm sure he'll be fine enough to sleep with you tonight, and not in my den."

"Thank you, Grassfur." Dewflower choked. "I'm so worried. Will he catch a sickness? Did he swallow too much water?"

"I'm sure he'll be just fine." The medicine cat soothed. "Now lets get him back the warm camp."

The other warriors followed behind, curious as to what exactly happened.

"Is the kit all right?" A slender, dark tom approached Grassfur as the warriors arrived back in the camp. Other curious eyes greeted them with stares.

"It's just another curious kit in the river, Lonestar." Grassfur padded over to his den where he dropped Goldenkit into a pile of feathers and soft grass. Lonestar followed Grassfur and entered the den.

Goldenkit blinked and looked up at the two cats. "Up."

"You mentioned a prophecy, Grassfur." Lonestar growled, his eyes becoming slits. "Is it about the kit?"

"Yes."

Goldenkit knew they were talking about him. The way they looked at him... it was uncomfortable.

"Well...?" Lonestar leaned forward.

"Well what?" The elderly tom began to dry off Goldenkit.

"Well, what did StarClan tell you? I'm your leader, I should be informed of these things." The RiverClan leader lashed his tail back and forth. "You of all cats should know that, you've been around the block for moons."

Grassfur stopped grooming a now sleepy Goldenkit in order to recite the message he was given. "He will rise with the sun at his dawn, and set with the sun at his dusk. RiverClan will drown by blood, but a golden future awaits them. That's all they told me."

"Did you get any... I don't know... visuals?"

"It was so disorienting. I saw a shadow of a cat, among the noises and colors of the twolegplace." Grassfur resumed the rhythmic licks, which put Goldenkit to sleep.

Lonestar began to pace the den. "It sounds to me like it will get worse before it gets better." He paused. "What does Goldenkit have to do with all this?"

Grassfur shrugged. "I'm only the messenger. I'll do my best to interpret, but only StarClan knows."

They both gazed down at the tiny kit, wondering how RiverClan's future could rest in such little paws.


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: All right, here's chapter 2! More kitten adventures, because one chapter wasn't enough. Read, review, follow, reread, bookmark it, whatever, just enjoy it.

 **Chapter 2**

Goldenkit shuffled along the edge of the nursery, looking for a way out. He pawed at the branches and brambles, hoping his tiny claws could snag on a tendril and tear it free. He could see some golden light seeping in from the outside world, and he wanted to feel its warmth.

"Goldenkit, what are you up to now?" His mother, Dewflower, scooped him up in her paw and pulled him close to her.

"I'm trying to explore." The black and white kit squeaked.

"You're trying to ruin the den, that's what you're doing," a brown mottled she-cat hissed. Her kit was nestled at her belly, he was older than Goldenkit, but only by two moons or so.

"Can Harekit play too?" Goldenkit perked up his little curled ears in excitement.  
"Can't you see he's sleeping?" The she-cat growled.

"Oh quiet, Foxfur, you know he just wants to play." Dewflower defended her son.  
"Yeah, and mine just wants to sleep." The mud-colored she-cat rolled over and signaled the previous conversation was done.

It had been only two moons since the incident at the river, and the tuxedo kit was held hostage inside the den. Goldenkit began to feel as though he had ants in his pelt, his restlessness was almost too much to bear.

Goldenkit's eyes wandered and he noticed that the nursery entrance was open and with a squeak, decided to go out and explore. He poked his head out with his whiskers twitching in excitement. The clearing in the center of the camp was full of his clan mates sharing tongues and devouring their prey they caught that morning.

"Uh oh, we got a runaway," a tall, dark tom laughed as Goldenkit made a break for it. He grabbed the black and white kit by the scruff. "Dusktail, I believe this one is yours."

The brown tabby tom next to him spun around and looked at the mewling, protesting kit in his jaws. "Yeah, that's mine." He chuckled and took Goldenkit. "Thanks for catching him, Wildclaw."

"Don't mention it," Wildclaw winked. "I'm an official kit-catcher."  
Goldenkit huffed with annoyance and took a swipe at his father's nose. "Put me down! I wanna play!"

"Why don't you play in the nursery?" Dusktail offered. "It's warm and safe in there."

"The only reason it's warm is because mom smothers me," Goldenkit swung around and landed a blow on Dusktail's cheek. The warrior didn't even flinch. "Can I please play out here?"

"Last time I let you by yourself you ended up in a river. No." Dusktail dropped his kit, who landed with a thud in the dust. "I'll tell you what, I'll let you out of the nursery if-"

Goldenkit beamed from ear-to-ear. "Thanks-"

"IF, you help out Grassfur with some of his chores." Dusktail gave a satisfied smile just as Goldenkit's was disappearing.

"But dad!" Goldenkit whined. That's not fun!"

Dusktail wandered over to where the deputy, Pondspots, was gathering a hunting patrol. He called out over his shoulder, "If that's not to your tastes, then go stay with your mother."

Goldenkit felt his face crease into a grouchy expression. "'If that's not to your tastes, then go stay with your mother'." He repeated under his breath in a mocking tone. "Fine, lets see what Grassfur wants." He stalked over to the smelly medicine cat den, the scents of herbs, sickness, and everything in between clouding his mind.

"I told you not to eat everything you see at the Twoleg site," Grassfur rolled his eyes. "Here, this herb should make you regurgitate. Go out back, don't make a mess." He patted an old tom on the back. Goldenkit recognized the warrior as Longwhisker.

"Do I have to?" Longwhisker's ears drooped.

"Do you want that bellyache?" Grassfur gave him a sharp look. "Go." With that, Longwhisker skulked out of the den, brushing right past Goldenkit, giving him a nod of acknowledgement.

"Hey, Grassfur." Goldenkit looked around at his surroundings, amazed at how all of it was stored in such a small space.

"Hello, there, Goldenkit. What brings you here? Thorn? Bellyache? Missing tail?"  
Goldenkit giggled. "Missing tail?"

"You'd be surprised at what I've come across throughout my years as a medicine cat." Grassfur smiled as memories were resurfacing. "I once had a young she-cat who lost her tail in a fox trap. Poor thing, her name was Breezetail, because nothing was there anymore." Grassfur laughed at the silliness of it all.

"I hope I don't lose my tail." Goldenkit bounced around in a circle, trying to get a good glimpse of his white-tipped tail.

Grassfur placed a pile of herbs in a small, cold hole in the earth. "But, really, are you ailing?"

"No, Grassfur. My dad told me if I wanted to get out of the nursery I had to help you out." Goldenkit trotted over to a stack of borage leaves and batted at them with unsheathed claws. They were shredded down to tiny bits, and Grassfur had to force himself to bottle up his frustration. He couldn't have this little kit in the medicine den, he had to get him out of here.

"Goldenkit, I have a task for you to do!" The little kit whipped around and his yellow eyes grew wide with anticipation. "I need these herbs delivered to the elder's den. I'm so busy with all these hurt cats I have no time to do that. Can I trust you to deliver them?"

Goldenkit felt as if he was bestowed with the task of saving the entirety of the clan. "Y-yes! I can do it!" He bounced up and down on his paws.

"Here, be gentle with these bundles, they fall apart easily." Grassfur gently handed over some small leaf wraps filled with various herbs. "I want these taken to Snowfur. He has joint problems."

Goldenkit nodded violently and wrapped his jaws around the bundles with utmost care. He turned tail and left the den, heading towards the sandy log where the elders basked in the sun.

Snowfur, a tom as white as his namesake, saw the young kit approaching and gave a warm smile. "Ah, a delivery service now! How nice."

Goldenkit felt a small bubble of shyness grow within him. "Hi." He mewed.

"Oh, it's Goldenkit, the famous kit who learned to swim." Snowfur teased as he unwrapped the herbs and began taking them one by one. "How was the water?"

"Cold." Goldenkit didn't know what to say. The elders den smelled just as odd as the medicine cat den, and Goldenkit just wanted to run and stick his nose in a patch of wildflowers.

The elderly cat rasped with laughter. "Last time I went swimming, which was many moons ago, the water was freezing. Glad to hear nothing has changed." His voice had a rusty edge to it that Goldenkit felt was jarring. Even after he finished all the herbs, Snowfur kept on chatting about every topic under the sun, including but not limited to: how fish scales can be dangerous if caught in your throat, that small dogs are a nuisance, herbs taste better as you grow older ("That's because you lose your sense of taste, thank StarClan!"), and even a conspiracy theory about Lonestar's leadership.

After a long while, Goldenkit grew a sense of intrigue about the old cat, and began to even enjoy the long conversation.

"When do you become an apprentice?" Snowfur asked him.

"In four moons." Goldenkit replied, while batting at a leaf absentmindedly.

"That's not too far away." Snowfur gave a loud purr and began washing his fur with his tongue. "Is there a particular warrior you want to mentor you?"

Goldenkit rarely left the den, so he wasn't too familiar with a lot of the warriors in RiverClan. "Um, I don't know." He admitted. Should he care? Was there a secret that kits could actually choose their potential mentors?

"If I were you, I would hope for Lionclaw."

"Why?"

"Even though he was only an apprentice, oh I dunno, five moons ago, he is one of the smartest warriors I have ever witnessed. Damn, I would give up my next meal to fight like he does." Snowfur purred again and moved on to his paws. His formerly white paws were now a dirty gray from the mud and sand.

Goldenkit leaned forward, eager to hear more about this Lionclaw. "What makes him so good compared to the other warriors?" He wondered outloud.

After a few licks, Snowfur looked up at the kit. "His battle smarts are unmatched. He knows more about the battlefield than some of our most experienced warriors. He uses this to have the upper hand in combat." He explained.

Their conversation was interrupted by two warriors, who each dropped a fish at their paws. "Dinner time!" One said. His pelt was rusty brown and had a healthy, shimmering shine to it. His amber eyes shone with pride at his catch. "One large fish, caught to order."

"You always catch the best fish, Lionclaw." Snowfur took a large mouthful. "And you too, Thornstripe. We can't forget about you." The dark, mud-brown tabby puffed out his chest proudly. "We were just talking about you, Lionclaw."

The young tom's eyes widened with surprise. "Really now? Talking smack about me behind my back?" He prodded Snowfur with a paw.

"Of course not. I was telling young Goldenkit here how you would make the perfect mentor."

"Aw, Snowfur..." Lionclaw turned his head away bashfully and grinned. "I have no experience, I'd choose Rivertail over me. He has had more experience than any of us."  
Snowfur gazed out into the clearing and spied Rivertail talking to Ravenheart. The fluffy gray tom showed signs of age, but his personality had never grown old. He was popular with the kits, and always had an entertaining story to tell. His clan mates used to tease him about being an elder so young. "Very true." He conceded.

"So we can pick our mentors?" Goldenkit piped up.

Lionclaw switched his attention over to the kit. "No, Lonestar does that for us. He makes sure we find the right match."

"I don't want to be put with a stupid warrior." Goldenkit huffed. "I wanna be trained by the best."

"Who's considered a 'stupid warrior'?" Lionclaw narrowed his eyes. "Every RiverClan cat brings something to the Clan, each one is special."

"I'm sure whoever your mentor is will be perfectly fine, Goldenkit." Snowfur nodded. "Your ceremony is only four moons away, I wouldn't worry about it quite yet."

"Goldenkit, where'd you go, you little scamp?" Grassfur poked his head in each den, until he arrived to the group in front of the elder's den. "Have any of you seen-" at that moment his blue eyes caught sight of Goldenkit. "Never mind, my search is over."

"Where you looking for him? I apologize, I've been keeping him around as a buddy to chat with." Snowfur meowed. "It gets awful lonely here."

"He's been my helper for the day so he can get his antsy paws out of the nursery. Dewflower has been watching him like a hawk." Grassfur explained, rolling his eyes. "I suppose I can understand where she is coming from, considering she lost her two kits from a previous litter, and this little guy almost died."

"Oh. I remember the little girls." Snowfur murmured, barely audible.

"I had sisters?" Goldenkit cocked his head to the side.

Changing the subject quickly, Grassfur grabbed Goldenkit by the scruff. "Thank you for your time, Snowfur. Goldenkit and I are heading out of camp to look for herbs."

"Supply running low?"

"Unfortunately."

"Well, good luck. Goldenkit, please come back and visit any time! I appreciate the company." Snowfur yawned and curled up in a ball, resting his fluffy tail over his nose.  
Goldenkit followed the medicine cat, trailing right on his tail. "So where are we going?" He piped up.

"We'll be going over near the river, so please, please, for the love of StarClan, stay close," Grassfur ordered sternly. "We all know your track record."

"I'll be good this time, I promise." Goldenkit laughed, bounding ahead of Grassfur. "It's so pretty outside of the camp."

"It sure is," Grassfur purred.

Leafbare was on the horizon, and many trees were losing their leaves. The gray afternoon sky was so low to the earth that the tree tops seemed to scrape the clouds. A chilly breeze cut through them, and the cold seeped its way through Goldenkit's body.  
"My ears feel numb." He announced.

"It is cold out, we shouldn't stay too long. If you catch cold, you'll be bunking with me, and I don't need an annoying kit buzzing about." Grassfur teased Goldenkit, his dreary blue eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Hey!" Goldenkit was about to say something in retaliation, but his attention was distracted by something else. "What's that?" He inquired.

Grassfur peered closer at the plant Goldenkit pointed at with his paw. "Why, that's Coltsfoot."

"It doesn't look like a foot." Goldenkit wrinkled his nose and batted at the yellow flower.

"It's a plant that is used to treat coughs, as well as sore paw pads." Grassfur bent down and yanked a few to keep. "Good find, Goldenkit!"

The two cats traversed down the banks, hunting for any herbs, berries, or cobwebs that they might come across. With the arrival of leafbare approaching, RiverClan needed every scrap of medicine they could get their paws on.

Goldenkit stopped to look up at the still cloudy sky. "Momma mentioned I had two sisters." He then rested his golden gaze on Grassfur. "Where are they now?"

The medicine cat stopped in his tracks and took a deep breath. The kit wasn't supposed to know this. "They're in StarClan." He meowed matter-of-factly.

"Why?"

"They were sick. I couldn't save them." Grassfur felt a weakness in his paws and he needed to sit down. Closing his eyes, he allowed the cool breeze to tussle his fur, hoping the wind will blow away the feelings of guilt.

"But you're a medicine cat. You're supposed to save them." Goldenkit sat beside Grassfur, using the larger cat to block the wind.

"I can't save everyone. If StarClan wills to have a cat join them, they will. It's out of my paws." Grassfur flashed back to when Dewflower and Dusktail lost their two daughters. It was a tragic day. He could still hear the agonizing, heartbroken cries. They never left him.

Grassfur jolted back to reality when he felt a prodding on his leg. "Hey, Grassfur, are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, ah, uh, yeah. I'm fine." He tried his best to hide the sadness in his eyes for Goldenkit.

"Good! Because I was worried." Goldenkit purred sympathetically. "Can we go home now? I can't feel my toes."

"Of course." Grassfur have a soft smile. "I'm sure your mother is starting to worry."

"She always worries. She smothers me." Goldenkit scrunched his face with distaste.

"She has reason to. You're her only kit, she doesn't want to see you hurt or sick." Grassfur explained, walking side by side with the tiny kit, their paw prints left behind in the cold, sandy soil.

"I suppose." Goldenkit squeaked.

Goldenkit buried himself in his mother's fur once he was back in the nursery. The warmth from her body heat soothed him and brought feeling back to his numb extremities.

"Mom," he said.

"What is it dear? It's late."

Goldenkit was about to ask a question pertaining his lost sisters, but instead, he mewed, "I love you."

Dewflower let out a purr. "I love you too, Goldenkit." She gave him a quick nuzzle. "And don't you forget that."


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: You're probably wondering if Goldenkit is a perpetual kitten, and I say "nay!" (if I were a horse, I'd say "neigh"!) In this chapter, we got some trouble brewing, will they survive?! Eh you probably noticed the link to chapter 4, so yeah. Sorry to spoil it. Read and enjoy regardless!

 **Chapter 3**

The snow had finally arrived. Goldenkit, who has never experienced the chilling substance, raced out of the den and gazed up at the low, gray sky in wonder.

Slowly, the other kits filed out behind him. Harekit blinked away the sleep from his eyes. "It's so cold out here!" He hissed, his fur fluffing up to combat the leafbare chill.

"That's because it's leafbare, you mouse-brain!" Goldenkit giggled and batted at his friend's ear.

Harekit shook the flakes of snow from his fur. "Still, I don't like it."

The other warriors were all sleepily emerging from their dens, each one looking up at the sky. Some growled in anger and contempt, and others purred in delight.

"Now we can go ice fishing!" Lionclaw whipped his tail back and forth excitedly. "Whitepelt, you should come along! You'll blend in so well." He brushed his tail along her flank with a laugh.

"I suppose." The white warrior blinked. "Oddly enough, snow isn't really my thing." She retreated back to her nest and watched the rest of the clan from afar.

Goldenkit bounded up to the group of chattering cats. "Can I go ice fishing?" He asked, continuing to bounce up and down in place.

"Me too!" Harekit joined him.

Lionclaw stopped talking and focused his attention on the kits. "Sorry, but you're too little. Plus, Goldenkit, if you were to fall in, you'd be trapped beneath the ice."

The black and white kit growled, baring his tiny fangs in annoyance. "Everyone still remembers that! I won't fall in, I promise."

Harekit covered his mouth with a paw to hide his giggles. Goldenkit, still visibly irritated, jabbed him the side with his elbow.

"We can't take any chances," Lionclaw shrugged. "I'd feel awful if I were responsible for the unfortunate death of a kit."

"But I- oh, never mind." Goldenkit shuffled off back towards the nursery. Several flakes of snow landed delicately on his pink nose. With a sneeze, they flew away, and landed amongst the rest in the deep banks that drowned the kits.

Harekit trotted along behind him. "Now what are we going to do?" Before Goldenkit could offer a convoluted scheme in response, they were interrupted by a soft mew.

"Where'd you guys go?" A fluffy, gray and white kit poked his head out of the nursery, it was Greenkit. "Goldenkit, you're mom was worried."

"She's always worried!" Goldenkit huffed. It was true, the queen always monitored her kit, her diligence never seemed to take a rest. Many of the cats excused it as acceptable since she lost her other two, but Goldenkit still despised his mother's watchfulness. "Wanna play mossball?" He suggested with a shrug of the shoulders.

Harekit sighed and rolled his eyes. "We always play mossball, but sure."

"I think it'll be fun, here," Greenkit rolled out a ball of moss with his paw. "It's all you, Harekit! Catch!" He swung his paw and smacked the ball of moss, sending it soaring towards the ginger tom.

"I got it! I got it!" Harekit dove for the ball, but instead it made contact with his face. "Ouch! It's frozen solid!" He cried out.

"Oops, I probably should've brought it inside the den last night." Greenkit mewed sheepishly.

Goldenkit laughed at his friend's misfortune. "Well, I suppose that game is done. It's not like we can go find more moss." He glanced out at the surrounding RiverClan territory. The freezing snow had blanketed just about everything. The branches, the sand, even the elder's den (several warriors had to dig out poor old Snowfur from his namesake).

"I wish we weren't kits." Harekit grumbled. "Maybe then we could leave the camp and go find some unfrozen moss."

"Or go ice fishing." Goldenkit piped up. He sat and thought for a moment. "I suppose we don't need to be warriors or apprentices to leave the camp."

Both Harekit and Greenkit narrowed their eyes and looked at each other, wondering where Goldenkit was going with this idea. "What are you talking about?" Greenkit squeaked. "We can't leave the camp, the warriors won't allow it, let alone your mother."

"So? What can they do about it?" Goldenkit padded forward, peering around for a way out. "I got out once I can do it again."

"I don't want to end up in the river!" Greenkit wept and covered his face with his paws. "I can't swim!"

"Does everybody have to bring that up?" Goldenkit screeched. He closed his eyes, tried to hold back a slew of choice words for his friend, and bit his lip. "Anyway," he began, "lets actually go do something fun. I'm so tired of being cooped up in here, with every warrior playing babysitter."

The other two nodded in agreement.

Goldenkit led the way, sneaking over to the entrance. The snow was melted and worn away from all the traffic, this way their paw prints won't be detected. "Lets make a break for it, there's no guards!" Goldenkit mewed excitedly.

All three kits dashed out from the entrance, and the open RiverClan territory greeted them.

"It's so big!" Greenkit gasped.

"It's bigger than I could ever imagine!" Harekit breathed, his breath escaping from his mouth in a billowing cloud.

"Seen it," Goldenkit meowed and padded along. "Now, does anyone here know how to ice fish, or just fish?"

The other two kits shook their heads slowly. None of them had even a shred of hunting experience, besides when they hunted their mothers' tails.

Harekit squinted against the bright leafbare sun and noticed some cats by the bank. "Hey it's some apprentices over there. Maybe they'll help us!"

All three scurried over to where Frostpaw, Pebblepaw and Perchpaw were playing in the snow. Frostpaw noticed the kits approaching and growled, "What are you three little minnows up to?"

Goldenkit skidded to a stop, spraying snow in the air, and stood tall, acting as though he was much larger than what he actually was. "We were wondering if you could teach us how to ice fish." He said, lifting his chin.

Frostpaw glanced back at his two companions. Perchpaw and Pebblepaw shifted uncomfortably on their paws, both knew that kits shouldn't leave the camp and that they could get in trouble. "Why?" The white tom asked.

"Because the warriors wouldn't let us join them!" Greenkit piped up.

A small, sly grin began to spread on Frostpaw's face. "I suppose you guys can join us." He paused and flashed a mischievous look at Pebblepaw, who lowered her ears and broke the eye contact between them. "In fact, how about you kits join our game? It's really fun."

All three kittens looked at each other, their eyes sparkling. An apprentice actually invited them to play! They forgot all about the ice fishing and instead were eager to play a new game.

"What do we have to do?" Harekit cocked his head to the side.  
"All you have to do is prove you're the bravest cat in RiverClan by crossing the ice to Sunningrocks and back. Legend has it that anyone who completes the challenge will become a great warrior."

"That's not-" Perchpaw spat but he was silenced by Frostpaw's tail.

Goldenkit's eyes grew wide. He desired to be the greatest warrior RiverClan- no, no- the whole forest has ever seen! "I'll do it!" He raced to the edge of the ice, and gingerly stepped on the frozen surface. "So all the way to the edge?" He turned around and faced Frostpaw.

"Yup." Frostpaw nodded. Pebblepaw and Perchpaw both had matching pained expressions on their face, each struggled to watch the impending disaster unfold before their eyes.

Goldenkit skidded along the ice, using his claws as leverage. "This is easy!" He smiled with confidence.

A little ways over, a fishing patrol was gathering their catch for the day. "What is that cat doing on the ice?" Lionclaw flicked his ear in the direction of Goldenkit. "Don't they know the ice is weak out there?"

"Probably a loner," Rivertail sighed and grabbed a fish. "They'll learn their lesson."  
Ravenheart remained silent. Without a warning, he dashed off towards Goldenkit, hoping he wouldn't be too late.

"Ravenheart!" Rivertail meowed.

"Get back here! The ice isn't safe!" Lionclaw called out after him.

Goldenkit made tiny steps, placing one paw in front of the other. "Easy now..." The ice beneath him made a cracking sound, as if it were under stress. His heart began to race, and he could feel it coming up into his throat. "That was n-nothing." Goldenkit told himself. "Just, n-nothing." Even though he lied to himself, he couldn't hide the truth. Fear stabbed through him.

"How are you doing?" Frostpaw yelled, his voice carrying over to Goldenkit.

"I'm fine!" The kit called back. "Just fine," he murmured to himself. There was another loud crack, followed by a series of creaks. "G-guys!" Goldenkit whimpered. He suddenly remembered what Lionclaw had said. 'If you were to fall in, you'd be trapped beneath the ice'. Goldenkit tried to push away the morbid images of himself drowning, unable to reach air because the sheet of ice was a barrier. He imagined his lifeless body sinking into the dark depths of the abyssal river, swept away by the current to StarClan knows where...

Goldenkit snapped back to reality. He remembered his task at hand, and took one paw step forward...

The ice beneath him broke, and just as his tail touched the frigid water, Ravenheart had swept in at the last possible second and grabbed him by the scruff. Goldenkit was too shocked to let out a scream and instead only a whimper escaped his throat. He could feel hot tears at the corners of his eyes, but he fought in vain to hold them back, lest a warrior saw him crying!

"I gotcha." Ravenheart meowed softly, trying his best to soothe the startled kit. He cautiously padded over to the bank, where he placed a trembling Goldenkit down in the snow. "Can any of you explain yourselves?" He growled, his voice surprisingly level.  
Lionclaw and Rivertail had arrived, both out of breath. "What happened?" Rivertail demanded.

"They were about to explain themselves." Ravenheart told them while stepping aside. "C'mon, tell them what happened."

All the apprentices and kits were stunned, each one speechless. Little Goldenkit shivered violently, mostly from fright.

"We, uh, asked them to play a game." Frostpaw refused to make eye contact. "And the game was that you have to cross the, uh, ice and get to, um, the other side." He was clearly feeling guilty.

"I see." Rivertail looked at Ravenheart. "You take him to Grassfur, Lionclaw and I will take everyone else to Lonestar."

"L-Lonestar?" Frostpaw choked.

"Putting a kit's life in danger warrants some sort of punishment. Wouldn't you agree?" Rivertail's green gaze pierced right through Frostpaw.

Ravenheart picked Goldenkit up in his jaws and carried him over through the camp entrance and towards the medicine den. The other cats stared in amusement until they realized it was serious.

Grassfur was in his den with his back facing the entrance when he heard someone enter. "Longwhisker, I swear to StarClan if you have another bellyache I will- oh, hey Ravenheart. I was not expecting you." His smile faded when his blue eyes settled on Goldenkit. "Oh."

"He almost fell in." Ravenheart explained. "I grabbed him just as his tail touched the water. I'm sure he's suffering from shock."

Grassfur immediately went to his storage and returned with a leaf wrap. "And you are correct," he meowed. "I'll administer some poppy seeds. It's all I have to help him in this situation."

Goldenkit lapped up the seeds, and began to feel drowsy in an instant.  
"He should probably stay with me for the night." Grassfur continued, putting the remaining seeds back in the wrap.

"That would be a good idea," Ravenheart agreed. "Do you need me for anything else?"  
"Your assistance won't be necessary, thank you, Ravenheart." Grassfur blinked.

The dark tabby tom dipped his head and left, leaving Grassfur alone with a sleeping kit.  
Though he wasn't alone for long.

Lonestar stalked in, his pelt bristling with anger. "What is this all about?" He roared.  
"Kits and apprentices were being numb-skulls, what's new?" Grassfur placed Goldenkit in a small, makeshift nest made of feathers.

"This is beyond unbelievable. What about the prophecy-"

"I'm pretty damn sure that StarClan won't kill off their poster child for RiverClan's redemption." The elderly cat laughed.

"This is serious, Grassfur. You can never be too careful, StarClan can and will change the course of destiny at the blink of an eye."

"I know, I'll be the first one to tell you that. But, think about it. Would they honestly kill off the subject of the message they sent me?" Grassfur shrugged. "I'm still wondering what's so special about him in the first place."

Lonestar glanced over at Goldenkit. "Hell if I know." He grumbled. "That kits gets into more trouble than a fox. He's already getting under my skin and he's been around for four moons."

"Lets be honest, Lonestar," Grassfur laughed, "Every cat gets under your skin, no matter how many moons they are."

Lonestar had to give a smile.

"Who's going to tell-" Lonestar was cut off by a yowl.

"Goldenkit?! GOLDENKIT?!" Dewflower frantically dashed into the medicine den, whipping her head around trying to search for her kit.

"Looks like she already found out, I guess news travels fast in RiverClan." Grassfur mumbled under his breath. "Dewflower, I ask that you be quiet because Goldenkit is fast asleep. I gave him poppy seeds."

The queen didn't look convinced. "Are you sure those are okay for him? What if he has an allergic reaction? What if they don't agree with his belly?"

Grassfur could not stand working with queens. "He's fine!" He snapped. "I've been giving hundreds of cats poppy seeds for the entirety of my career, no one has died yet."

Dewflower reeled back, flattening her ears and raising her hackles. Surprised by Grassfur's outburst, she was silent.

"Grassfur has everything under control." Lonestar stated calmly. "I will handle the punishments for those involved."

"The others who did this to my Goldenkit better get what they deserve!" Dewflower hissed, unsheathing her claws and burying them in the frozen dirt.

Lonestar tried not to lose his temper. "They will receive an appropriate punishment, and Goldenkit will receive his as well."

"What do you mean?" Dewflower's eyes became slits. "My Goldenkit did absolutely nothing wrong."

"He broke the very obvious rule concerning kits leaving the camp." Lonestar brought up. "It was his choice to leave the safety of the camp and to walk across the ice."

Dewflower tried to string together strong words into a sentence, but her anger resisted. All that came out was a sputtering growl. "This is unfair," she finally managed to say.

Goldenkit kicked a little in his sleep as he was dreaming. Dewflower noticed this and quickly went to grab him, but Grassfur leaped to block her path. "No, he's staying with me for the night so I can monitor him."

"Then may I stay with him?"

"No. You may continue sleeping in the nursery, in your own nest. The medicine den is exclusively for cats who need my assistance." Grassfur shoved her out of the den. "Now please, do us a favor and calm down, go grab a piece of fresh-kill or take a nap."

Dewflower attempted to protest, but Grassfur gave her one last shove. Admitting defeat, she left to find Dusktail.

"What a drama queen," Grassfur snorted. "Are you going to be addressing the others?" He walked over to Lonestar, who was watching the entire spectacle with a glint of amusement in his eyes.

"Oh, yes of course. I will do that immediately." Lonestar gave a purr. "Drama queens, that was a good one."


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: Here we are, as promised back in chapter 3. In this chapter, Goldenkit and the rest chose the thug life. That is all. Read, review, enjoy!

 **Chapter 4.**

"I can't believe our ceremony is pushed back a moon because of a stupid kit!" Frostpaw sliced at a log with his ebony-colored claws, sending the snow on top of the dead bark flying in a white powder.

Goldenkit huddled beside the nursery, listening to every word of Frostpaw's rant with a feeling of guilt weighing down in his heart.

It was the next day, and Goldenkit had woken up to the silence of the camp, everyone had still been sleeping soundly. He did not bother going back to sleep, he knew that whatever Grassfur had given him was worn away by then. He had laid beside the nursery instead, inhaling the intoxicating and refreshing dawn air, and watched the pink sky transform into its usual blue.

"Well, Frostpaw, I'm surprised you didn't get a worse punishment for endangering a kit's life." Pebblepaw curled her tail around her delicate paws.

The white apprentice spun around sharply and stood nose-to-nose with her. "Me? What about you two? You could've spoken up!" Frostpaw had a point.

"I- yeah you're right." Perchpaw hung his head and lowered his ears. "But hey, we get extra training." He tried his very best to make light of the situation. Goldenkit liked him, that attitude was admirable.

"AND an extra month of picking fleas from Snowfur's pelt! I swear I don't know how and why he gets so many." Frostpaw gave a hiss and took another fierce slice at the log, digging his claws into it, making deep gashes. Goldenkit feared what it would be like to be on the other end of those claws, what it would be like to be in the tree's place. He shuddered violently at the thought.

"Hey, Goldenkit." Harekit popped up behind the tuxedo tom and gave him a good fright.

"Oh, hi, Harekit." He smoothed out his soft kitten pelt, making sure he didn't look too spooked. "What is it?"

"Just wondering what you're doing here, it's an odd spot to play." Harekit glanced around and then peered around the corner, noticing the three apprentices. "What's up with them?"  
Goldenkit didn't look up and continued licking the tuft of fur on his chest. "They're mad at me."

"Why?" Harekit flicked an ear, and tilted his head to the side.

"Lonestar apparently pushed back all their ceremonies because of me." Goldenkit explained with a dismal sigh. He moved on to his bathing paws, making sure each one was absolutely immaculate. "I feel bad."

Harekit started to play with a pebble awkwardly. "The punishment for Greenkit and I was that we can't leave a warrior's sight, not to mention we can't really leave the nursery either." They both glanced over into the den and saw Foxfur and Dewflower watching both of them intently, a ferocity in their eyes that rivaled TigerClan. Greenkit was still curled up in a tight ball at his mother's belly, his chest rising and falling with each deep breath he took. "Greenkit seems happy with it."

Goldenkit laughed at his friend's observation. "I still haven't found out mine. I have to talk to Lonestar today."

"Good luck, you'll need it." Harekit was about to say a word when his eyes darted away from Goldenkit towards something else. Goldenkit spun around and saw a looming figure towering over them, blocking out the sunlight and casting a deep shadow. It was none other than Pondspots, the RiverClan deputy.

"Goldenkit, your presence is requested at Lonestar's den." His low voice rumbled in Goldenkit's ears. It reminded him of thunder from the early leaffall storms.

"Oh, okay." He felt squeamish and scared all of a sudden, but tried his best to keep his fur lying flat so Harekit or Pondspots couldn't spot his fear.

Goldenkit trembled up to his paws, his yellow eyes not leaving the deputy out of sight. He began to slowly put one paw in front of the other, and made his way toward the rock that hid Lonestar's den.

Sounds like I'm in deeper trouble than I thought, Goldenkit thought to himself, anxiety flooding his muscles, tightening them with tension.

Pondspots walked slowly by Goldenkit's side, but the young tom still had difficulty keeping up. His shorter-than-average legs felt wobbly and weak by the time they reached their destination.

"Did you bring the kit, like I asked?" Lonestar stretched his legs as he walked out of the den, pushing the lichen aside. Pondspots nodded, motioning towards Goldenkit, who was dwarfed in comparison to the other two cats. "Well, well, well. Look what we have here."

Goldenkit could feel the amber stare burn into his pelt. Can't Lonestar just deal out the punishment and get it over with already?

"Shall I leave you two to business?" Pondspots blinked.

"Yes. Why don't you gather a small patrol to go ice fishing? Snowfur ate the last fish this morning." Lonestar rolled his eyes. "Just be sure to exclude any cat under the age of six moons!" He called out after his deputy and former apprentice, laughing at his own joke.

Goldenkit felt a cringe ripple through him, he will be living that one down for the rest of his life. He did not bother to say anything, and just sat in silence, hanging his head low.

"So, Goldenkit." Lonestar couldn't help but smile. "You've had quite a scare yesterday."

"Yessir." He squeaked, tucking his tail tighter to his body.

"Do you know what could've prevented that scare?" Lonestar prodded further, hoping that Goldenkit will give himself the answer, it's best to have kits learn for themselves.

Goldenkit paused. "...Staying in the camp?" His voice rose at a higher inflection at the end, as he hoped that was the right answer.

"Correct!" Lonestar nodded, now smiling even broader, revealing sharp teeth. "Now, did you stay in the camp?"

Goldenkit felt a sting of guilt. "No sir." Goldenkit shook his head vigorously, his ears and fur flopping from side to side. "I didn't."

"So you broke the rules?" Lonestar had this kit cornered, it all went to plan.

"Yes- but I just wanted to have fun! I'm so cooped up." Goldenkit bounced on his paws, releasing some of the pent-up tension from his legs.

Lonestar's eyes grew large and then they shut tight as he flashed back to when he was a kit, remembering how he had felt the exact same way.

"Why do kits have to stay in the camp?" He asked, blinking away tears from his wide, young eyes.

A strong, elderly white tom looked over at him, his warm, blue gaze as soft as the summer sky. "It's dangerous out there, Lonekit. We can't have you get hurt."

"But Icestar!" He whined, trying to fight for his freedom.

"No, Lonekit." The wise RiverClan leader growled with a sharp edge to his voice. "I can't have you running around the territory without supervision. Especially in winter. If you fell through the ice..." His mew trailed off, and he switched his focus away from the kit, not making eye contact. "Now go find your mother, she'll be wondering where you are." Icestar disappeared into his den, his flowing white tail swishing the lichen, leaving the future RiverClan leader alone in the snow, sniffling from sadness and defeat.

Lonestar returned to the present, and felt a hallowed emptiness within, a dull ache that throbbed in his chest. "Now I walk in your paw steps, Icestar." He whispered to himself. A warmth brushed past his pelt, and Lonestar was comforted by the presence.

Goldenkit was still sitting there, looking up at the now-old leader, hoping to maybe weasel out what he wants. "Am I free to go now?" He turned around slowly, and tried to make a quick, nonchalant escape.

"Not so fast, Goldenkit." Lonestar placed a paw on Goldenkit's tail, pinning him down so he was unable to escape. "You still need a punishment."

"Aw!" Goldenkit huffed, his lower lip sticking out in protest.

"I believe that keeping you under surveillance in the camp will be sufficient. You have no permission to leave, and I will have my warriors watch you and the camp for one whole moon. But I'm sure Dewflower will have everything under control." Lonestar laughed, remembering how protective and smothering the queen was.

Goldenkit's jaw dropped. "A whole moon?!" He squealed in shock. "That's forever!"

"Then don't leave the camp." Lonestar growled. Goldenkit began to shuffle out of the den, dragging his paws gloomily behind him. Before he could disappear outside, Lonestar remembered something and stopped him. "Goldenkit," he blurted out.

"Yes...?" Goldenkit narrowed his eyes, and wanted to say something sharp, but he held his tongue.

"Do you... do you have any strange dreams?" Lonestar felt silly when he asked the question to the kit. But it was eating at him alive whether or not Goldenkit was aware of the prophecy.

"Do dreams about mossball count as strange?" Goldenkit replied, raising an eyebrow.

"No, that's fine. Do you have dreams about StarClan?" Lonestar sat back, wrapping his tail around him. He secretly hoped that the kit was aware of his chosen status, and that he didn't have to explain things to him. Or even worse, that he had to keep it a secret.

The kit was baffled. "StarClan?" Goldenkit reentered the den and sat down to face his leader. "Our ancestors? Not that I remember."

"Nothing at all?"

"No! Why? Am I supposed to, or something?" Goldenkit flattened his curled ears, and crouched down, he was worried that he was the abnormal one. Did cats regularly dream of StarClan?

Lonestar struggled to find words. Should he tell the kit what Grassfur had seen? Or was it better to leave him in the dark? "I was just curious." He covered his tracks quickly, lying to Goldenkit.

"Okay then. Am I excused?" Goldenkit asked, looking over his shoulder. Greenkit and Harekit were waiting outside, wanting to play (and wanting to hear of Goldenkit's punishment).

Lonestar gave a curt nod and allowed Goldenkit to scurry out of the warm den. "So Goldenkit doesn't know about the prophecy." He said aloud. "I suppose he's just a kit." Lonestar dismissed the self conversation and left the den to organize patrols.

"What's your punishment?" Greenkit asked Goldenkit after the latter left the leader's den. "Is it bad?"

"Same as yours." Goldenkit gave a shrug. "I have to be watched like prey."

"At least we're all prisoners together, right?" Harekit brushed his tail along Goldenkit's own tail. "We have to stay positive!"

Goldenkit felt his tail droop. "Yeah, staying positive in this cramped camp with every pair of eyes glowering at you. Real fun." He padded over to the nursery, finding the now half-frozen moss ball. Goldenkit couldn't even find a flicker of interest in the game, he felt too depressed to enjoy it.

"Pass it over here!" Harekit jumped from side-to-side, skidding in the snow.

Greenkit piped up, "No, pass it here, Goldenkit!" The gray and white kit slipped on a patch of ice and flopped onto his face, leaving a face print in the snow.

"Quick, while he's down!" Harekit popped up, waving his paws wildly to indicate to Goldenkit that he was open.

"It's all you!" Goldenkit snapped out of his sad mood and tossed the ball over to his auburn-colored friend.

Harekit received it, and held it in his claws above Greenkit's head, taunting him. "Mouse in the middle!" He announced.

"That's not fair! I didn't ask to be the mouse." Greenkit cried.

Goldenkit stuck out his tongue. "You shouldn't have fallen on your face then."

"Like I knew there was a patch of slippery ice there!" Greenkit's mouth dropped in shock and his voice grew defensive. "It's not fair!"

A voice interjected, "You know what else is not fair?"

The kits felt their stomachs rise up into their throats as they slowly turned to meet Frostpaw and his cronies face-to-face. "What?" Goldenkit whimpered.

"It's not fair that you runts only have to stay in the camp for a moon, while us apprentices have our ceremony pushed back." Frostpaw dug his claws into the snow.

Goldenkit perked his ears. Frostpaw did have a point. Kits were already supposed to be kept in the camp. "So?"

"So it's not fair! Your punishment isn't even close to ours concerning severity." The white apprentice hissed. He seemed to be the voice of the group. Perchpaw and Pebblepaw stared down at their freezing paws, not uttering a meow.

Goldenkit wasn't about to be pushed around by this bully. "Well, I didn't dare a kit to plunge to his death."

Frostpaw reeled back with a loud snarl. "But you didn't die. So the punishment still stands as unfair." He stalked off towards the apprentice den, steaming angry.

Pebblepaw and Perchpaw followed him with their gazes. With a tired sigh, Perchpaw padded after him. Pebblepaw whispered a "Sorry," to the kits before bounding off to the den herself.

The kits sat in silence for a moment.

"What was THAT all about?" Harekit snorted, dropping the moss ball.

Goldenkit's yellow eyes bore into the apprentice den, hoping Frostpaw could feel the hot rage emanating from the piercing stare. "StarClan knows," he grunted. "Just an apprentice with a thorn in his paw. Apparently he thinks I placed it in his nest."

"Ignore him, Goldenkit," Greenkit mewed. "He's not worth it."

"Just wait until I'm a warrior." Goldenkit growled under his breath, narrowing his eyes in defiance. "Frostpaw will regret every mew he's ever uttered."


	6. Chapter 5

A/N: WE GOT OURSELVES A CER-EH-MONY. This plot just keeps rolling along. Now lets see how well our protagonist survives the next phase of his life...

 **Chapter 5**

It was finally Newleaf. The fresh scent of budding leaves and flowers greeted the Clans with a gentle touch. The sun now had a glimmer of warmth that was absent in the winter. The snow began to retreat to the dark, shadowy corners of the camp where it could find chilly refuge. The silent air was broken by the returning songs of the birds, and they swarmed the sky in a floating chorus.

Goldenkit's sleepy eyes fluttered open, revealing their bold, golden color. He was buried in his mother's white belly fur, hidden from the icy dawn air. He yawned widely and stretched, letting his claws out and digging them in the feathery nest.

Suddenly, he snapped out of his sleepy haze. Today was his apprenticeship ceremony! It was the day he would become a "-paw", and receive his mentor, who would teach him the ways of the warriors.

Now excited, Goldenkit could hardly contain himself. He felt like bouncing around, telling everyone in the nursery that it was HIS day. Goldenkit remembered that he was going to be an older, more mature apprentice, so instead of acting like a kit, he sat down, slicked his hair back, and sat properly, awaiting his mother to wake up.

Oh, who was he kidding? Goldenkit couldn't contain his excitement, even though he tried. He bounded over to his mother, Dewflower, and began tugging at her ear until her eyes opened.

"What is it Goldenkit? Are you okay? Do you have a bellyache?" She gave him a few frantic licks.

"No mom!" Goldenkit tumbled backwards, escaping his mother's love. "I'm gonna be GoldenPAW today!"

Dewflower's blue eyes widened with shock. "That's right! My little kit, already an apprentice. I'm so happy." She scooped him up with a paw and began to lick him again. Dewflower had every right to be happy and excited for her kit, Goldenkit was the first of her kits to make it to apprenticeship. Her other two daughters had passed away before their ceremony due to illness.

"I can't wait to tell Greenkit and Harekit! I mean, Greenpaw and Harepaw." Goldenkit gave his pelt a shake, fluffing out his fur that his mother worked so hard to smooth. His friends had recently become apprentices, and told Goldenkit all about their training. Goldenkit couldn't wait to join them, they'd be denmates! No more bossy and naggy mothers to breathe down on their necks and give them baths.

Not to mention the nursery was getting crowded. Two more kits arrived, Silverkit and Smokekit. Both were small, fluffy tabby she-kits. Goldenkit didn't pay them too much attention, all they did was cry and feed and sleep.

"Why don't you go outside and play for a while, maybe go find your friends." Dewflower got up to stretch and grab some prey for a breakfast meal. "Your ceremony should be before sunhigh."

Goldenkit squeaked past his mother and dashed out of the nursery, only to to trip over Grassfur's paws.

"Whoa there, youngster." Grassfur dropped some herbs. "Watch where you place your paws."

"Sorry, Grassfur." Goldenkit flattened his ears. "I'm just so excited."

"Why? First day without fleas in your pelt?" Grassfur gave Goldenkit's shoulder a nudge.

Goldenkit rolled his eyes but let out a laugh anyway. He was too happy to let Grassfur's jab put him in a rotten mood. "No! I'm gonna be an apprentice today."

"Well, now, ain't that something." Grassfur finished picking up his lost herbs and began trotting to Lonestar's den. "Just remember not to cause too much trouble, or you'll be mistaken for an elder when you have to spend all your time in their den completing chores."

"Very funny, Grassfur!" Goldenkit waited until the elderly medicine cat wasn't facing him to stick is tongue out in defiance. "Stupid old fleabag." He muttered a continued padding over to the apprentice den.

Grassfur brushed past the lichen into Lonestar's den. The dark cave under the highrock was centuries old, and every RiverClan leader had slept here. Grassfur could see the paw prints left behind from his ancestors, and marveled at how they stood the test of time.

"Lonestar?" Grassfur saw a curled up lump resting in a feathery nest. "I brought the pain-relievers you asked for. You should use them in combination with physical therapy. The river is thawing, you could go swi-"

"Grassfur, who would you pick?" Lonestar bolted up, his amber eyes glinting with deep thought.

"Um, what?" Grassfur cocked his head to the side, flicking an ear in confusion.

"Who would you pick as a mentor for Goldenkit?" Lonestar jumped to his paws and paced his den, his striped tail whipping back and forth.

"You still haven't chosen one? His ceremony is before sunhigh!" Grassfur snorted in disbelief. "I thought you would have picked one by now."

The old leader sat down, but his muscles twitched with tension. "I'm in a pickle. I need someone with patience, but I need a young cat who will keep up with him. Goldenkit has too much energy!"

Grassfur ran a list of all the available warriors through his mind. "How about Wildclaw? He's fairly young."

"No, he just had an apprentice."

"How about Whitepelt?"

"We just gave Greenpaw to her."

"Oops, forgot. How about Lionclaw? He's a strong, young warrior." Grassfur gave his paw a lick.

"But he is only a very new warrior. I swear I gave him his name only several moons ago!" Lonestar hunched over in distress. "Does he even have enough experience to train another cat?"

"I believe so. He's one of our smartest warriors. He'll be fine, give him a chance." Grassfur licked his other paw now.

Lonestar suddenly sat up straight, perking his ears. "That's it! Lionclaw would be the perfect mentor for Goldenkit! I can't believe I didn't think of it before. Thank you Grassfur." Lonestar spun around to face his medicine cat. "Can you send him in?"

"Only if you eat your herbs first." Grassfur laid a claw on a tattered, dark green leaf.

"I'm your leader, you can't give me orders!" Lonestar narrowed his eyes. Grassfur narrowed his in return and the RiverClan leader took the herbs without protest.

"All right, now I'll fetch you Lionclaw." Grassfur turned tail and stalked out of the den, heading towards the fresh-kill pile, where several warriors were already gathering for breakfast.

"Hey, Grassfur!" Dusktail smiled and took another bite out of his fish. "Whatcha up to?"

"Looking for Lionclaw, have you seen him?" Grassfur snuck a bite from Dusktail's catch. "Lonestar needs to speak with him."

The dark tabby warrior flicked his tail in the direction of the camp entrance. "He was just behind the hunting party, trying to snag one more fish before calling it quits."

Another tomcat looked up from eating and had bits of fish clinging to his whiskers. "What does Lonestar want Lionclaw for? He's not in trouble is he?"

"No, Longwhisker." Grassfur chuckled. "Lonestar just needs to discuss an issue with him." Just before another mew could escape his mouth, Lionclaw pranced into the camp, carrying not one, but two whole fish, both lying limp in his jaws. "Speaking of the devil..." Grassfur purred and bounded over to the brown tom.

"Lionclaw, Lonestar needs to speak with you."

"Mph?" Lionclaw dropped his catch in the dirt at his paws. "Me?"

"Yes, you." Grassfur leaned in closer to whisper into Lionclaw's ear. "It's about Goldenkit and his apprenticeship." He hissed.

Lionclaw's suddenly serious facial expression revealed that he knew immediately what he was needed for. The warrior dipped his head and agreed to follow Grassfur back to the Lonestar's den.

Lonestar was curled up in a ball again, facing away from the entrance and towards the back wall. "Before I change my mind, Lionclaw, I want you to mentor Goldenkit."

Lionclaw didn't seem all that surprised. "Why me?" He meowed.

"I chose you to be his mentor because, whether you are aware of it or not, you are one of the strongest warriors in our clan. Plus you have enough youthful energy to keep up with him."

Lionclaw wasn't convinced, but breathed a loud sigh and said, "All right. I'll be his mentor. I accept your challenge." A twinkle of amusement glimmered in his Amber eyes and he smiled softly.

Lonestar purred in response. "Thank you, Lionclaw. I'll begin the ceremony immediately, before you have time to change your decision." He brushed his tail playfully alongside Lionclaw's flank as he exited his den.

"So when do you think the ceremony is?" Harepaw blinked. "It's almost sunhigh."

Goldenkit was gnawing on a fish with his two friends, Greenpaw and Harepaw, outside of the apprentice den. "I dunno." He swallowed a mouthful of prey and looked worriedly at the highrock, wondering if his ceremony was delayed.

"I'm sure it'll be fine, Goldenkit." Harepaw blinked. "The clan has been busy with it being Greenleaf and all."

"That's true." Goldenkit felt a bit more relieved at his friend's words.

A flash of fur caught Goldenkit's eye as Lonestar leapt to the peak of the high rock. He inhaled, taking a deep breath and yowled: "All cats who are old enough to fish and swim gather beneath the high rock for a clan meeting."

Both Greenpaw and Harepaw's eyes lit up with excitement as they turned to Goldenkit, who was frozen in all his own excitement.

RiverClan began to gather around, greeting each other with purrs and mews.

"Today we have an apprentice ceremony to fulfill." Lonestar began. "It is time we give Goldenkit his apprentice name and mentor, setting him on the path to become a full fledged warrior of RiverClan."

"Goldenkit!" Dewflower called for her kit, and shoved several cats in the crowd aside to reach him. "Look at your fur, it's so messy." She began to groom him thoroughly.  
"M-o-m!" Goldenkit batted her with his paw.

"You're going to be presented in front of the whole clan, I can't have you be an embarrassment to your father or me." Dewflower meowed and pinned Goldenkit down by the tail so he was unable to escape.

"Goldenkit, please step forward." Lonestar ordered.

Goldenkit was released from his mother's embrace and stumbled into the center of the clearing. He could feel the intense stares of his clanmates burning into his black and white pelt.

"Goldenkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Goldenpaw." The clan waited with baited breath to see who would be training this rambunctious and troublesome kit. "Lionclaw, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Shellheart, and you have shown yourself to be intelligent and courageous. You will be the mentor of Goldenpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Goldenpaw."

Lionclaw took a step forward and greeted Goldenpaw. They touched noses, Goldenpaw being extra careful not to smash his nose too hard into his mentor's.

"I look forward to training such an eager apprentice." Lionclaw raised an eyebrow and gave a smile.

Goldenpaw returned the smile. "I look forward to learning from such a great mentor."

"Goldenpaw! Goldenpaw! Goldenpaw! Goldenpaw!" The clan chanted his new name in unison. The feeling that was coursing through his veins was unimaginable. Goldenpaw felt as though he had enough power and strength to take on all of TigerClan.

Goldenpaw looked over and saw his two friends were cheering the loudest. When the crowd dissipated, they ran over and pounced on him. "Goldenpaw!" Harepaw cried out.

"You can stay with us now!" Greenpaw waved his tail back and forth.

Two cats walked up to them. It was Whitepelt and Rivertail, Greenpaw and Harepaw's mentors. "Welcome to the mentor club." Rivertail grinned. "How does it feel to be a mentor so young?"

"Pretty interesting." Lionclaw looked down at his new apprentice.

"Did you want to train with us?" Whitepelt offered.

"I'll have to decline your offer, I should show Goldenpaw the territory first, as is tradition." Lionclaw said. "Maybe tomorrow?"

Whitepelt dipped her head. "If you wish." She meowed.

"Come, Harepaw, Pondspots asked us to join a hunting patrol." Rivertail turned tail and led his own apprentice to the camp entrance.

Whitepelt took Greenpaw to change the elder bedding.

"So, we're gonna look at the territory?" Goldenpaw tilted his head.

"Yes." Lionclaw allowed the hunting patrol to leave first before they followed them out. "Although I'm sure there isn't much to show you because you've always seemed to find your way out of the camp as a kit."

Goldenpaw lowered his ears and his face fell into an embarrassed grimace, so this was how it's going to be.


	7. Chapter 6

A/N: Now we got some good ol' fashioned Warrior Cats battle scenes. That's right, I know you guys wanted some feline fightin'. Read and review, and most importantly, enjoy!

 **Chapter 6.**

The warm sunlight soaked into the pelts of the two cats as they walked along the riverbank. The stale air of Leafbare was being replaced by the welcoming scent of Newleaf. There was another scent on the air, one that was heavy with precipitation.

Goldenpaw's pelt was tingling with excitement. He can now explore the territory! He can learn the secrets of battle, the tricks to fishing, and hopefully, get to go to his first Gathering.

His thoughts were interrupted by his mentor's mew. "So this is the river, we fish from here." Goldenpaw looked over at Lionclaw, who winced at how stupid that statement was.

"I already know what the river is," Goldenpaw rolled his eyes.

"I figured, you've been acquainted with it several times." Lionclaw stuck his tongue out and padded forward, leaving Goldenpaw's mouth agape in shock.

The two treaded along the bank, hopping on large, smooth stones and winding through the tall, dead cattails. The reeds haven't sprouted yet, the territory still retained the sleepy look of Leafbare, just with less snow.

"When do I get to learn some fighting moves? I wanna fight!" Goldenpaw let out a long-drawn hiss and puffed out his fur. With his arched back and outstretched claws, he looked quite fearsome.

"Now Goldenpaw, being a warrior isn't all about fighting-"

"But war is in the name!" Goldenpaw whined, interrupting his mentor.

"...Yes, but we have other duties that are just as important as fighting." Lionclaw hopped up onto a large, gray rock and looked out over the river. "Such as hunting."

Goldenpaw huffed. "I know. But fighting is way more fun!" He scored his claws alongside a nearby log, sending shards of wood everywhere.

"Wait until you're in the midst of battle." Lionclaw growled deeply. "I'm sure you'll change your mind."

"As if." Goldenpaw hopped up onto the rock to sit beside his mentor. "Fighting is in my blood. I'm related to Goldensong."

Lionclaw did not seem amused. "The battles spoken of in tales and legends are far less gruesome in words than they are in reality. Besides, you're not going to be fighting anytime soon. You're just out of the nursery." Lionclaw squinted his eyes to peer over at the other side of the river. "Now let's go look at more of the territory... hm?" His sharp, brown ears perked up.

"What is it? What is it?" Goldenpaw stretched up to his toes, leaning sharply forward so he can see for himself what Lionclaw spotted.

"ThunderClan cats on sunningrocks." Lionclaw spat. "That's our territory and they know it!" He leapt down and bounded over to the riverbank. "Goldenpaw, head back to the camp and warn Lonestar. He should organize a patrol to send out."

"Are we going to fight them off?" Goldenpaw's bright eyes lit up even further.

"We warriors are, but you aren't." Lionclaw snorted. "Now go!"

Goldenpaw hissed in frustration and spun around to run back to camp. He sprinted as fast as his small paws could carry him, and he felt as though he was flying over the mud and rocks.

Goldenpaw dashed into camp. "Lonestar!" He yowled.

The RiverClan leader looked over at the fatigued apprentice, who was trying to catch his breath. "Yes, Goldenpaw?"

"Lionclaw and I were just over by the river, and we spotted ThunderClan cats at sunningrocks!" Goldenpaw stood a bit taller, and his tail stuck straight in the air.  
The Clan overheard Goldenpaw's message and began to chatter in a frenzy.

"ThunderClan?"

"They took sunningrocks again?"

"Stupid squirrel chasers!"

Lonestar's amber eyes grew wide with worry. "I shall organize a patrol immediately."

He called over Rivertail, Ravenheart, Duststem and Whitepelt. Pebblepaw was joining the patrol. She was almost a warrior, any day now she'll receive her name.

The warriors gathered around the camp entrance, clawing the ground, excited to sink their teeth into ThunderClan fur.

"Rivertail, head down the river and meet Lionclaw to go over strategy. I await your return." Lonestar dipped his head in farewell. "May our warrior ancestors look upon you in favor."

Goldenpaw hurried to join the patrol, but Lonestar stopped him. "I don't think so," he meowed.

"But I gotta go help my mentor, Lionclaw needs me!" Goldenpaw argued as he tried to wrestle himself free from Lonestar.

"You just earned your apprentice name this morning! There will be plenty of future battles to come." Lonestar argued in return. "Now go see if Snowfur needs anything, I'm sure his bedding is stale."

Goldenpaw turned around angrily and stomped away towards the elder's den.

Snowfur was looking up at the sky with a grouchy look across his white face. "I was in the middle of sunning my old hide when the dark clouds decided to block my sunlight. Humph."

Goldenpaw honestly didn't care about Snowfur's old man problems. "Lonestar told me that I'm supposed to change your bedding." He muttered.

"Ah yes!" Snowfur shuffled aside. "Go right ahead." He paused for a moment, watching the young tuxedo apprentice drag out old grass from the den. "So what was it you were saying about ThunderClan? They took sunningrocks?"

Goldenpaw spat out a feather. "Yeah. My mentor and I were going through the territory when we spotted several cats on sunningrocks. Lonestar sent out a battle patrol." He rolled the old bedding into a ball and began to push it past Snowfur and out of the camp. "I wish I was going."

"You don't even know any battle moves," Snowfur pointed out.

"I can use my warrior instincts!" Goldenpaw unsheathed his claws.

Snowfur narrowed his eyes and knew that his words would get lost in Goldenpaw's ear fur. "Thank you for changing my bedding, Goldenpaw. I appreciate it." The elderly tom disappeared into the den, his white plume of a tail swishing behind him.

"Now to get rid of this," Goldenpaw crinkled his nose in disgust at the scent of the dirty grass-ball. He began to head over to the dirt-place, and as he did, an idea hatched in his mind.

He can go to the battle.

All he needed to do was to sneak off through the dirt-place, and he was free!

Goldenpaw skipped in delight at the sheer genius of his plan. He ditched the grass-ball, and wriggled his way through the reeds and out of the camp.

Watch out, ThunderClan! He thought excitedly.

Storm clouds raged on the horizon. Flashes of lightning dazzled the gray sky and lit the heavens with a white glow. Goldenpaw raced alongside the swollen riverbank, his paws getting drenched with mud. His ears strained for the sounds of battle, but he could hear nothing. Goldenpaw hoped that he wasn't too late.

"Hey what's that over there?" A voice called out.

Goldenpaw's heart throbbed faster as he realized he was about to be caught.

"Is that a ThunderClan apprentice?" A snarl ripped through the rain and Goldenpaw had the wind knocked out of him. When he opened his eyes, Lionclaw had him pinned to the muddy ground.

"Goldenpaw?!" He meowed incredulously.

Goldenpaw laughed sheepishly, and didn't make eye contact with his mentor.

"What are you...? I thought you would be told to stay in the camp!" Lionclaw removed his paws from Goldenpaw and allowed his apprentice to sit up.

"He was told to stay in the camp." Rivertail raised an eyebrow.

Lionclaw darted his attention back to Goldenpaw, baring his teeth in frustration. "Go back to camp! Now!"

"But I want to fight!" Goldenpaw whined.

"How many times do I have to tell you this? There will be plenty more future battles." Lionclaw narrowed his eyes and blinked slowly. He looked down at his paws. "Fine. I know you won't back down and you're just holding up the patrol anyway. You want to fight? Well you're going to fight."

The other warriors gasped at Lionclaw's decision. Letting a new apprentice fight? He didn't even have any training!

"Lionclaw, you can't-" Ravenheart pleaded.

"C'mon, we can't waste any more time." Lionclaw brushed past the patrol and ran ahead to sunningrocks, leaving the other cats in shock.

Goldenpaw ran ahead after his mentor, feeling the rain plaster his fur against his body. He caught up to Lionclaw, who's own pelt was darkened with cold rain water.

Goldenpaw snagged his paw on a branch and fell face first into a puddle.

"Do you have stones in your paws?" Lionclaw roared. "Get going!" The young warrior dashed off, leaving his apprentice behind.

The other warriors followed, and Goldenpaw struggled to regain his balance.

"So this is how it's going to be." He growled. Goldenpaw met up with the patrol, who were lined up on the riverbank, staring down the ThunderClan cats at sunningrocks.

"Sunningrocks belong to RiverClan!" Lionclaw shouted. "If you do not leave peacefully now, we'll take it by force."

Goldenpaw could see a large, gray tom across the river. Goldenpaw knew that it was Graystar, the leader of ThunderClan. He was flanked by several other cats, and each one looked menacing.

"We're not going down without a fight!" The tom meowed. "So if you want sunningrocks, come get them!"

"RiverClan," Lionclaw growled.

This is it, Goldenpaw thought. My first battle.

"Attack!" Lionclaw plunged into the torrent, the other RiverClan warriors following without hesitation.

Goldenpaw felt his hot blood coursing through his veins, he couldn't even feel the chill of the water swirling around him. He was almost across the river, and could almost taste ThunderClan fur in his mouth.

With an explosion of fury, the patrol burst onto the opposite bank and dove into battle.  
Goldenpaw became disoriented from the caterwauling and screeching. Pelts blurred by, and he could already feel puddles of blood beneath his paw pads.

"Here's one!" A loud voice bellowed. A shadowy warrior caught Goldenpaw off guard and pinned him to the ground. The large, furry warrior clasped his jaws around Goldenpaw's throat. "Little morsel."

"Get off!" Goldenpaw clawed furiously at his attacker, scoring his claws down the muscular shoulders. With a scream of agony, the warrior let go of Goldenpaw and took a step back.

"Why don't you run off with your fellow RiverClan fish-faces?" The warrior hissed. Several others cornered the young apprentice. "Or do you wish to fight us?" He took another step forward, inching his way closer to Goldenpaw.

Just as Goldenpaw opened his mouth to answer, Lionclaw gave a battle cry and leapt into battle, bowling over the dark warrior. "Damn you ThunderClan!" He yelled. The RiverClan warrior bit the other warrior's ear and tore it free from his head. Blood flowed down his face like the river, collecting in pools at his paws.

"Lionclaw!" Two other RiverClan warriors broke free from their own battles; Goldenpaw recognized them as Ravenheart and Rivertail. "Do you need help?"

Between gasps, Lionclaw managed, "All the help I can get!" He gouged out one of the ThunderClan cat's eyes. With a powerful leap, Ravenheart tackled a small ginger she-cat. It did not take long before she turned tail and fled back deep into ThunderClan territory.

Goldenpaw spotted a struggling ThunderClan apprentice who was hobbling on only three paws. He pinned the apprentice down and with a threatening growl, said, "Hurry your sorry ass off my territory."

The apprentice nodded so fast Goldenpaw swore he would get whiplash.

"Good. Then get!" He released the apprentice from under his paw and felt the hot blood soak his paw pads.

It felt good.

While Goldenpaw was watching the ThunderClan apprentice cross the river, the breath was knocked straight out from him as he himself was knocked to the ground. He rolled out of the way just in time as a massive paw pounded the ground right where his head was.

Goldenpaw swiftly got back onto his paws and in one move jumped onto the warrior's back, digging his claws into the brown fur. The old warrior fell to the ground and rolled onto his back, wrenching Goldenpaw free. Red blood spattered the ground and mixed with the mud to create a mahogany color.

With a hiss, the warrior retaliated and swiped an outstretched paw at the RiverClan apprentice. Goldenpaw dodged the attack by ducking, and without missing a beat, clawed the warrior where he left himself exposed. Goldenpaw dug his claws deep into the fur and skin, and pulled his paw down so it tore it open. Screaming, the old tom batted Goldenpaw away, and fled.

"Good move," Lionclaw smiled at his apprentice. "Looks like you have been observing well."

"No, I'm just that naturally skilled." Goldenpaw laughed and dove into the battle. Lionclaw stared after the apprentice; a solemn look shadowed his face.

The storm had continued to grow, and now the sky was as black as the night. The icy Newleaf rain sliced through the pelts of the fighting cats, chilling them to the bone. Goldenpaw had hardly noticed the cold, his mind and body focused on the battle. He saw Grassfur, who was helping Pebblepaw off to the side. He was sent by Lonestar to help heal the wounded at the battle.

Duststem was fighting off a large gray she-cat, and Goldenpaw saw he was protecting Whitepelt, who was lying in a bloody pool in the mud. Her chest was torn open, and the organs were slightly spilling out. Goldenpaw tried not to retch, and decided to divert his attention elsewhere. He was about to attack a small golden tom when a screech sounded across the battlefield.

"ThunderClan, retreat!"

The ThunderClan cats obeyed their leader and ran off into the woods, tails tucked and ears flat. The cats from RiverClan stood on the rocks victoriously, yowling jeers and remarks at the defeated Clan.

"That'll teach you! Stay off of sunningrocks!"

"Stick to the forest, squirrel chasers!"

Goldenpaw felt a feeling of pride grow in his chest; it was a feeling of pride for both himself and his clanmates. They were the winners. They had succeeded.

"Goldenpaw, we need to talk." Lionclaw growled, his dark brown eyes glittering. Goldenpaw saw a large gash on his mentor's shoulder, which was covered in mud and dry blood.

"Goldenpaw!" Pebblepaw bounded up to him. "Wow, you were so good!" Her blue eyes were wide with admiration. "I can't believe that you haven't had any training yet."

"Thanks," Goldenpaw followed her back to the camp, glancing his shoulder every once and awhile to see Lionclaw seething with rage.

When the patrol had returned back to camp, Goldenpaw sat on the ground and began washing his wounds. The salty tang of blood bathed his tongue, and he mostly tasted the blood of his enemies.

Dewflower ran over and gasped in horror at her battle-torn son. "Great StarClan! Are you okay?" She immediately began to wash her tongue over his pelt. "You're a mess, blood, dirt… you're going to need more than one bath mister!"

"M-o-o-m!" Goldenpaw squeezed himself free from his mother's iron grasp. "Warriors don't need baths."

"They sure do. Your father is always looking his best." Dewflower brushed her tongue over his curled ear.

"I want to bask in my dirty glory!" Goldenpaw protested.

"Well, fine. But if you go to bed like that, StarClan forbid, I'll be angry." Dewflower growled.

Goldenpaw looked over at Lionclaw, who was talking to Lonestar and Pondspots. His heart dropped when all three looked at him.

Goldenpaw knew he was in deep trouble this time.


End file.
